We invite you to comment as Edgeville Buzz's GUEST. We review all submissions before they go live on our site. We encourage civil dialogue. Posts must adhere to our comment policy and we reserve the right to delete posts/ban users for instances of inappropriate language, bullying speech, character defamation, spam, etc.

neighbor1

Such sad news. There’s already a Mariano’s opening on Lawrence, and plenty of others around. We need a Whole Foods — the only options for good fresh organic produce and other products sold by stores like Whole Foods are up in Evanston or in Boy’s Town/Wrigley. And there’s a big market for that stuff in the Andersonville area.

TwiggyB

It’s going to be nice to be able to walk to a Whole Foods and get what I need in short time than using the CTA. Apparently, you have a servant who gets all your food.

mike_thoms

Doubt they buy two stores that close both for Mariano’s. Hope it becomes a whole foods or trader joes

Sandy Andina

Mariano’s is about to top off its new megastore on the site of the old Sears Auto & parking lot on Lawrence near the Ravenswood Metra station. Highly unlikely they’d want one in between that one and Foster/Sheridan. The 6009 Bway Dom’s is the 4th most profitable in the chain–but the lower-performing Foster/Sheridan is nonetheless easier to retrofit to Mariano’s template, as it’s built in the same configuration as from-the-ground-up Mariano’s stores, If you take the southern-central Evanston W. F. as a template, “our” Dom’s would be a good fit (and easy to retrofit internally, adding some of the amenities found in the Church St. location). I’m not crazy about having to drive to Uptown or Ravenswood if I want to shop at a Mariano’s (though it beats having to drive to W. Roscoe Village or Jeff. Park, which are the N. Side’s current options for “Mariano-ficionados”). But I’d definitely do the happy dance if I could shop at W.F. without having to drive up to Evanston or down to Lakeview.

RA

Whole Foods is too expensive for the area. Mariano’s is much more reasonable and will cater better to the neighborhood. Very good news.

Edgewater Resident

How many people have to post before they realize that Whole Foods is NOT going to move into an area like Edgewater. It’s not in their demographic, and is too expensive for the area. Same goes for Trader Joe’s. The issue with Trader Joe’s is they don’t have any store that needs that much square footage. They wouldn’t fill a space that big; it’s easier for them to buy property and build the size they want.

Bottom line for Broadway and Clark stores….hope for a Kroger or Jewel. Those are the only other two big S.F. stores that would carry that much inventory. I’m sorry, but most Edgewater and Rogers Park residents would find Whole Foods *way* too expensive….so they wouldn’t fit in the area.

EdgewaterJoe

First, you’ve obviously never shopped at a Trader Joe’s – it’s not that expensive at all. Second, I’m afraid that the neighborhood is becoming a bit wealthier – why else would an LA Fitness be opening just down the block from that spot? No question they could support both, and if the reports are true, it’s about to happen.

Edgewater Resident

Obviously, I HAVE shopped at a Trader Joe’s. It’s a matter of the demographic, NOT whether or not it’s affordable. Consider this: Whole Foods has two stores within a mile of each other on Chicago Avenue. The Trader Joe’s on Chicago is less than a block from the Whole Foods and across the street from a Jewel. The average income is higher in Evanston, obviously. Hence, the location.

Trader Joe’s is picky about location when they open up new stores anyway. Ravenswood, Lincoln Park, downtown Chicago, Evanston, Park Ridge, River North, Glenview, Oak Park. Northbrook, Libertyville. See a pattern there?

So go take a gander in your local Trader Joes in Evanston. Notice how big it is. It’s easily half the size of the Jewel across the street. Whole Foods has gone big in some areas. West Town near Halsted comes to mind.

So guess what….obviously I HAVE shopped in a Trader Joe’s.

mike_thoms

But there are people in Andersonville who would shop whole foods. And parts of edgewater and RP too. The broadway and glenlake location might be too big for Trader Joe’s though and maybe Whole Foods as well but it’s not as big as the Domiminick’s on Ridge or on Howard. Who knows what will happen to those stores.

Edgewater Resident

The operative word here is ‘some’ people could shop at Whole Foods. This is looking at it from a business standpoint. Everybody wants a Trader Joe’s or a Whole Foods in their neighborhood. The old neighborhood I grew up in talks about a Whole Foods all the time since the Dominick’s announcement. The neighborhood is too blue collar and WF wouldn’t even consider it.

The issue with TJs is they don’t want to just open up new stores just for the sake of opening new stores. Remember when Krispy Kremes were big? Remember when every business owner and his next door neighbor opened one? Oversaturation kills retail businesses dead. TJs will build stores where they want to when they want to. If TJs decides to move into the Edgeville area they’ll find property and build their own. That’s usually how they roll.

So you’re really going to argue that one location out of 20 or so that DO fit the demo? Seriously?

So let’s go down that road then…how many people screamed bloody murder when Englewood gets one and their (fill in the blank) neighborhood doesn’t?

Big Easy

I’m new to the neighborhood and Chicago in general so my perspective is a little different as I’ve seen Whole Foods open up in less desirable neighborhoods in places like Tucson, San Diego and Los Angeles. So I’m referring to other examples besides Englewood.

I was hoping for a Marianos myself but would obviously be happy with a Whole Foods.

Big Easy

Safeway’s real estate site is no longer listing the location so someone has bought it. Seems like Jewel Osco would have announced already….maybe Food 4 Less?

Edgewater Resident

All of the Dominick’s locations inside the city limits got bids. It’s a matter of when they’re officially announced.

Edgewater Resident

The info coming from the Crain’s article about Whole Foods being interested in the Broadway location can work – because Whole Foods has opened a couple of ‘super stores’ in Chicago. West Town on North Avenue being one….and Lincoln Park (might be wrong on that one). Whole Foods can go big and use all the square footage in a building. Mariano’s can too….but there’s only so many locations they can take over. The Foster Avenue one is a feather in their cap because it’s a pretty new Dominick’s build with an upper deck parking area. That will work for them.

Some people were saying that Devon Market should maybe look at one of the Clark St. locations but size might be an issue and DM doesn’t have the money to expand like the others do.

duppie

Whole Foods has one flagship store in Chicagoland. It is on Kingsbury, near North Ave. It is referred to as the Lincoln Park store.
There is no Whole Foods at all in West town. Let alone a flagship store.

Before you claim to know how WF operates, maybe you should spend some time on getting the facts straight?

Edgewater Resident

Note the update that says Whole Foods is “pursuing” locations like the Broadway Dominick’s. That’s business-speak for “we’re pursuing’ a lot of locations besides this one.” There’s nothing to see here until a bid is accepted.

Jeff Goodby

You are simply spouting off. You have no facts to back that up. Fortunately for you, this forum is here.

duppie

Are you sure you are not confusing you’re own personal situation and/or shopping preferences with those of the rest of Edgewater?

With affluent and progressive areas like Edgewater Glen, Lakewood-Balmoral and Andersonville nearby, I wouldn’t be so sure the market isn’t there for Whole Foods. WF has been actively scouting the neighborhood for a while, including the old ribs place on Clark and Ridge, and the old Marx Ace Hardware property.

Realistically, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for WF to move into this market. Their average store size severely limits the number of properties that are available to them.

But we don’t need to argue, really. Just wait a few days (a week or two at the most), and it will become clear whether you are really the oracle you proclaim to be.

Sandy Andina

Amen, duppie. I’m in E.Glen, and everyone on my block is excited over the prospect of a Whole Foods w/in walking distance. A discount store would be a disaster–we’ve become used to at least Dominicks’ level of amenities, service, product quality and brand selection. A Food 4 Less (which is the only thing Kroger wants to open in Chicago) would have none of these–plus it would be a terrible employer (unlike its parent Kroger, F4L in Evanston is non-union with low pay and nearly no benefits). Besides, Aldi adequately serves that budget demand (such as it is) in this neighborhood. And don’t assume E. Beach is entirely downscale just because of the “Corridor:” it’s being steadily gentrified and many condo owners on N. Sheridan would shop at a Whole Foods.

The site is too big for a Trader Joe’s, which has almost no brand selection other than wine (though its own label stuff is mostly decent-to-high quality) and offers no chance to buy meat, cheese, fish, or produce not prewrapped (e.g., good luck buying just the size steak you want, a pair of burgers, just one tomato or banana, or smaller than a block or package of slices of cheddar). Not to mention no soup stand, hot chickens, freshly baked pizza, deli counter, made-to-order sandwiches, coffee bar, bank, pharmacy, flu shots…

From what’s being reported, the Pratt/Ridge Dom’s will be a Jewel–makes sense as the A’ville Jewel-Osco is bursting at the seams. Dunno about Gateway Plaza–NE R.P. is not as affluent an area (though it too is gentrifying) and might end up with one of the discount grocers. I doubt Whole Foods would want to put a store there so close to its south Evanston site (only a mile or so north, up Chicago Ave, Clark’s northern extension) even if the demographic might support it. But hey, they put another WF store only 3/4 mile up Chicago Ave, in downtown Evanston (with a Trader Joe’s in between), so anything’s possible. (And anyone notice that the southern WF in Evanston has slightly lower prices than its Church St. location)?

duppie

Sandy,
Do you know what will happen with the Dominick’s store on Lincoln and Berwyn?

Sandy Andina

Wish I did. It’s not among those listed as bought by Mariano’s or under consideration by WF. There’s a Jewel nearby, a Trader Joe’s further S. on Lincoln, and Lincoln Sq. is too upscale for a F4L (but probably not affluent enough for a WF). WBBM said that there’s been no interest expressed thus far in the 50 remaining stores.

duppie

This morning DNA reported that both the Lincoln Square and the Broadway locations have not had any takers:

Only because no official announcements have been yet. The Broadway property is no longer available on Safeway’s real estate listings. Someone posted this map in the comments section…not sure where it came from or it’s validity but it lists Broadway as a future Whole Foods:

Interesting to note that 1 N. Halsted is shown as a future Whole Foods….one block south of an existing built-from-scratch Mariano’s (which is currently drawing the usual Whole Foods shopper demographic).

ChiTownEdge

I hope that map has some validity, I wonder who put it together? *crossing fingers*

ChiTownEdge

I just tried to change the data on that map. It appears to be a Google tool that anyone can create, so it isn’t from anything official it looks like. Anyone can create one of these maps and add labels. But I’m still hoping. :)

Sandy Andina

If the Whole Foods deal falls though and Jewel doesn’t bite for the Broadway location, I could see Aldi moving into it and converting its smaller Granville/B’way location to a Trader Joe’s (which is just the right size for the latter and is located in a condo building). Wouldn’t be happy, though, having a no-amenities grocery like Aldi replace the full-service grocery to which we’ve become accustomed (and which influenced many of us to move here in the first place).

Paul

Aldi’s (Aldi South) and Trader Joe’s (Aldi North) are owned by different companies.

ChiTownEdge

I agree with you duppie. I live near Granville and Sheridan and I usually drive to a Trader Joe’s or WFs during the weekends to pick something up. I went to Dominick’s for every day stuff so I don’t have to drive, having a WF in the neighborhood would be outstanding.

TwiggyB

Can I get an AMEN!!! LOL!!!

ChiTownEdge

Looks like you were wrong.

gscan

I’m ecstatic! Mariano’s is definitely a better fit for the neighborhood than WFs. Its great for property values and, more importantly, quality of life.

ChrisM

Magnolia and Edgewater Glen both have a substantial population of SFH owners who are quite well off and would spend plenty of cash at a Broadway Whole Foods, not to mention the Lakewood/Balmoral and Bowmanville residents, and the Loyola student body.

All of these populations are right in their wheelhouse either economically or demographically.

JasonOS

I reside in Edgewater/Granville area and definitely would shop at WF should they move into the Broadway location. I actually think a lot of people refuse to see that the demographics in the area is changing for the better and that the area CAN support a WF; a new wave of young professionals and health conscious citizens are moving into the area.

Lincoln/FosterDoom

For those asking about Foster-Lincoln – I shop there daily and live 2 blocks away and spoke to an employee yesterday. They are done on Dec 27. There is zero interest in this location. None. The area is filled with hipsters and working class people, many without cars, for whom food shopping is about to become an ordeal. The meal planning, transporting groceries on the CTA and the incredible time drain for people who have precious little extra hours to kill. There are no grocery stores in the area. Where is the alderman? Edgewater has Osterman working hard on this and look how it’s working out there.

TwiggyB

God, I can’t wait for a Whole Foods in this neighborhood! I’m tired of getting on the train or bus and going to Lakeview for food & sales. This is going to be great!